Evolve Events One Day 3GG Bracket Buster: Sleeper Standouts

At the Evolve Events One Day 3GG Bracket Buster tournament, several unranked players stole the show and put their names on the map with outstanding play. While this was a smaller event, these players performed at a level higher than the rest of the competition.    [player_tooltip player_id='2371288' first='Damarion' last='Jones'] is an electric guard with great feel for the game. He has elite touch within the lane and killed opponents by consistently hitting runners and floaters. When teams ran a zone against Damarion, he was able to get cut through defenders and get into the lane with ease. His ability to get to his spots and elevate off of both feet made his body control very impressive. In his first game against Western OK Eagles, he controlled the flow of the game and hit a shot with 7 seconds left in double-OT to secure the win.     Joseph Plaza is an ultra-aggressive guard who handled pressure from opponents with his change of speed and unpredictable play style. Plaza has a high motor and never stopped hustling throughout the weekend. He dove for loose balls more than anyone at the event and created a number of additional possessions for his team by running down long rebounds and tip-outs. Plaza also had some impressive passes in the open court and did a great job of leading his teams while they ran in transition.     Ryan Johnson jumped out as one of the more elite players at this event. He has great size for his age and a very developed skill set. He primarily played on the interior on defense and did a great job of fighting for rebounds throughout the weekend. On offense, Ryan has great footwork and solid form on his jump-shot. He was his team's first option scoring, but did a great job of keeping his head up for outlet passes and was also able to hit a number of cutters from the high post. Ryan has great feel for the game did a good job of not forcing the issue against traps, but rather took his time to make the right read.     [player_tooltip player_id='2628938' first='Deontray' last='Mustin'] is an extremely exciting guard and one of, if not the, best passers that I've covered this summer. He has a tight handle and stays in attack mode all game. While this was not one of Mustin's best shooting events, he still made a large impact for his team by blowing past defenders and forcing help before hitting open teammates for good looks. He also came away with a number of steals do to his ability to read ball-handlers and keep a drag hand down to disrupt crossovers. When attacking, Mustin is a very creative finisher. He attacks the drop defender with bursts of speed but is also able to get more physical with smaller defenders and is able to finish with both hands while adjusting in the air.     James Sims is one of the more complete players that I've covered this summer. James is a very athletic ball-handler who has been able to guard opponents all over the court. This weekend, Jame showed off his shooting by knocking down multiple threes off the dribble as well as out of catch-and-shoot looks. He pushes well in transition and can finish with either hand around the rim. While driving, Jame has an impressive change of speed and does a good job of attacking angles to cut through opposing defenses. On the other side of the court, James can disrupt quicker guards with his length and challenge interior shots with his athleticism and timing. While James excels in the little things, he also created a number of highlights by throwing down a hand-full of powerful dunks.     Jael Torres was one of the most dominant physical presences at this event. He owned the paint in every game that he played and I was the most impressed with his ability to secure positioning. His go-to move from post-ups was to shoulder fake then spin once the defender committed. Jael also served as an anchor on defense and discouraged opponents from attacking the rim due to his ability to block shots. He hunted rebounds consistently on both ends of the court was able to make quick outlet passes to in order to push in transition. Several times throughout the event, Jael would spot up at the top of the key and was able to knock down threes with ease.     Kolson Smedley is a guard who really excelled in everything on offense. He has a very impressive handle on the ball and was able to attack out of nearly every situation. Kolson has a great stutter step that he uses to set up defenders before blowing past them and this help him get to the lane consistently. He did a great job of getting to his spots and was able to hit a wide variety of shots. Kolson also has the unique ability to get to line while staying under control. He baited multiple defenders on pump-fakes before drawing the fouled. While at the line, I don't think Kolson ever hit anything other than the net. He is an extremely smooth shooter and has all the tools to earn a college spot down the road.     TJ James has eye-catching length and uses this to challenge nearly every shot in the paint. He has a quick jump and times his opponents well to meet them at the high point. TJ also has a high motor and moves laterally very well. There was one possession where his man relocated for a corner three, but TJ was able to recover and block the jump-shot. Outside of being a great rim-protector, TJ did a great job of finishing plays within the paint. Several easy looks were created for him and he was able to finish through and above defenders. He did get several posters when challenged on dunks and I think this was a good display of his no mercy mindset.     Jayden Donahue-Burch is a big game with good feel and a high motor. He flashed to the high post consistently and was able to set strong screens throughout the weekend. He rarely forced his offense and was able to draw in help defenders before hitting open teammates out of cuts for open looks. When defenders would give him space in the mid/high post, Jayden was able to knock down a few catch-and-shoot opportunities. Jayden also did a great job running in transition and was able to throw down a big dunk to get everyone in the gym fired up. His ability to fight for positioning on both ends of the court impressed as well. He's extremely physical and keeps his team on the same page with constant communication.     [player_tooltip player_id='2484594' first='Jeremiah' last='Booth'] was one of the most impressive pure point guards at this event. He controlled the tempo of games by directing his teammates around the court and seeing the defensive strategy early. He made quick decisions and cut through defenses to get into the lane early. Jeremiah has tremendous touch and was able to finish at the rim consistently despite being challenged by much bigger defenders. Jeremiah has a great handle and big time passing instincts which helped him to keep the offense flowing quickly. When teams would try to trap past half-court, he was able to quickly find open teammates before relocating to get the ball back.

At the Evolve Events One Day 3GG Bracket Buster tournament, several unranked players stole the show and put their names on the map with outstanding play. While this was a smaller event, these players performed at a level higher than the rest of the competition.